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With training camp coming to a close, the Chicago Bears’ offensive line is still undecided without a definitive starting left tackle. Returning starter Braxton Jones remains the favorite, but Ben Johnson believes the job will go to whichever player is the most consistent to end the offseason.
The Bears shook up their offensive line in the offseason by adding Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman. However, their most important position remains up in the air, with rookie Ozzy Trapilo and 2024 third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie splitting the first-team reps with Jones. Johnson believes the job will come down to “mental errors” and whichever player is the most consistent in winning one-on-one matchups in the preseason.
“To me, it’s consistency,” Johnson said, via NFL.com. “It’s who’s making the least number of mental errors. I think I said in the springtime tackles, to me, have to be able to pass protect one-on-one on a regular basis and win those one-on-one matchups. Guys that are out there that we’re not having to be conscious of with the play call to give them help all the time, that would be ideal. Certainly not the case everywhere I’ve been. Over the years, you’ve had to help them out with the play calls. But those guys that can block a defensive end one-on-one, they’ll be really at a premium.”
Jones, who joined the team as a fifth-round pick in 2022, has started every game he has appeared in throughout his three-year career. He missed five games in 2024, but Amegadjie only started one of them, with the remaining opportunities going to Larry Borom.
After poaching Johnson from the Detroit Lions, the Bears’ biggest investment of the offseason went into their offensive line. The changes were undeniably necessary after they allowed Caleb Williams to take 68 sacks in 2024.
The Bears’ blocking struggles extended beyond pass-blocking; they also struggled to create run gaps. Chicago averaged just 4.8 yards per rush as a team in 2024, the sixth-worst in the league. Their leading rusher on the year, D’Andre Swift, ended with 959 rushing yards, but only averaged 3.8 yards per carry.
Thuney, Jackson and Dalman are all established starters who will help in both areas. Thuney, who joins the team off consecutive first-team All-Pro campaigns, should be particularly impactful in raising the unit’s overall effectiveness. Jackson joins the team as a one-time All-Pro and former staple of the Detroit Lions’ established offensive line.
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